A Navy sailor has gone missing while performing patrol duties near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea, prompting a search operation by the military and the Korea Coast Guard today (July 12).

The Navy announced through a media notice today, "A sailor serving on a Navy vessel on patrol duty went missing this morning in waters approximately 50 kilometers east of Geojin-eup, Goseong-gun, in the East Sea."

The missing service member is identified as Private A, in his 20s, and the vessel is reportedly a frigate.

Private A was last seen on board the ship between 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. today.

It was determined that Private A was scheduled to rest until 8:00 a.m. after finishing his shift at midnight, and was set to resume duty at 8:00 a.m.

However, when fellow sailors gathered for the 8:00 a.m. shift change, Private A did not appear. The Navy explained that they realized he was missing after searching the interior of the ship and failing to locate him.

The exact time and circumstances of Private A's disappearance have not yet been confirmed.

In a phone call with SBS, a Navy official stated regarding whether they are investigating specific possibilities such as an accident or jumping overboard, "We are focusing on finding the missing sailor without ruling out any possibilities."

The official added that they are not aware of any notes left by Private A so far and that his family has been notified of the disappearance.

Currently, the Navy is conducting a joint search with the Korea Coast Guard, deploying vessels and aircraft.

The military has also broadcast the news of the disappearance to fishing boats operating in the area and passing merchant ships, requesting their cooperation in the search.

In this regard, the Ministry of Unification stated that since the location of the disappearance is adjacent to the NLL, the possibility of the sailor drifting into North Korean waters cannot be ruled out. Consequently, the ministry has requested North Korea's cooperation in searching for and repatriating the sailor on humanitarian grounds.

The Ministry of Unification also explained that because inter-Korean communication lines are currently severed, they are conveying the request for cooperation through media reports.

Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-back was briefed on the missing person incident this morning and ordered that every effort be made to rescue the sailor as quickly and safely as possible.

The Ministry of National Defense also stated that the Minister ordered the maintenance of an active coordination system with relevant agencies, including the Korea Coast Guard.

(Photo: Provided by the Navy, Yonhap News)